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Sol System Renegades #1
The Galapagos Incident
The Recyclers Series opens with a nuke-sized bang in this adventure set in a near-future colonized solar system, where humans and machines are edging towards an all-too-possible showdown.
The job: Evict 30,000 illegal squatters from the asteroid habitat they built.
The pay-off: A share in the glory of terraforming Venus.
The catch: An inhibited-AI robotic assistant with a hidden agenda.
Comes the hour, comes the sucker.
Elfrida Goto works for the UN. But she soon starts to suspect that her assistant is working for someone else ... who doesn’t care if Elfrida lives or dies.
Bad enough that she’s surrounded by colonists who insist on clinging to their God and their guns. A new threat is about to emerge that will make her problems look like …
… just another day at the office.
The Galapagos Incident was first published in 2014 as a serial in Amazing Stories Magazine, and is now available as a full-length Kindle book and in paperback.
The job: Evict 30,000 illegal squatters from the asteroid habitat they built.
The pay-off: A share in the glory of terraforming Venus.
The catch: An inhibited-AI robotic assistant with a hidden agenda.
Comes the hour, comes the sucker.
Elfrida Goto works for the UN. But she soon starts to suspect that her assistant is working for someone else ... who doesn’t care if Elfrida lives or dies.
Bad enough that she’s surrounded by colonists who insist on clinging to their God and their guns. A new threat is about to emerge that will make her problems look like …
… just another day at the office.
The Galapagos Incident was first published in 2014 as a serial in Amazing Stories Magazine, and is now available as a full-length Kindle book and in paperback.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
110 people are currently reading
552 people want to read
About the author
Felix R. Savage
91 books119 followersFelix R. Savage writes hard science fiction, space opera, and comedic science fiction. He has also occasionally been known to commit fantasy.
Felix has a long history associated with rebellion. He was born in the 1970s, a decade of American youth rebelling against the safe culture of their parents. He is married to a wonderful woman and they have two beautiful daughters. Together the four of them live in Tokyo serving their cat overlord and benevolent protector. Felix pounds the keyboard while not translating, delighting in his family, or catering to the whims of the family’s cat. He woke up one day to learn that he was a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, but he continues to keep a low profile, and never stops watching out for any sign the lizard people have found him.
Felix has a long history associated with rebellion. He was born in the 1970s, a decade of American youth rebelling against the safe culture of their parents. He is married to a wonderful woman and they have two beautiful daughters. Together the four of them live in Tokyo serving their cat overlord and benevolent protector. Felix pounds the keyboard while not translating, delighting in his family, or catering to the whims of the family’s cat. He woke up one day to learn that he was a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, but he continues to keep a low profile, and never stops watching out for any sign the lizard people have found him.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
January 4, 2015
Felix R, salvage has written a science fiction (that has just a hint of fantasy) story that lost me for most of the story. It is a story that had huge potential, yet fell way short.
The characters are underdeveloped. If this book was another hundred pages or more, it is possible that character development could have happened. Then it would have been easier to adhere to, understand the motives of, and just get to know in general.
The plot line is way too sketchy. The motives behind the main characters are so under-explained that it felt like there is a whole lot that was not explained and was assumed that the reader knew about- which left me scratching my head in bewilderment. It shows moments of violence, and then stops. It intimates there will be sexual tension, and then there is none. The moments talking of advanced technology came up short as well as it only gave brief explanations at best. Each time the story started to get good, the story shifted to another plot line, and then continued with this pattern throughout the book. It just felt like the book was basically trying to be a prequel to something possible better. Just the same, with so many good books, I say save your reading time for something that is good from the get-go.
The characters are underdeveloped. If this book was another hundred pages or more, it is possible that character development could have happened. Then it would have been easier to adhere to, understand the motives of, and just get to know in general.
The plot line is way too sketchy. The motives behind the main characters are so under-explained that it felt like there is a whole lot that was not explained and was assumed that the reader knew about- which left me scratching my head in bewilderment. It shows moments of violence, and then stops. It intimates there will be sexual tension, and then there is none. The moments talking of advanced technology came up short as well as it only gave brief explanations at best. Each time the story started to get good, the story shifted to another plot line, and then continued with this pattern throughout the book. It just felt like the book was basically trying to be a prequel to something possible better. Just the same, with so many good books, I say save your reading time for something that is good from the get-go.
December 29, 2014
In the interests of openness, I was provided with a copy of this book by the author, after responding to a posting on Facebook that mentioned it. My opinion of this book was not influenced by that gift. I grew up reading this type of book in the 1950s and it is nice to see an author with the appreciation of the genre. It is a "space opera" where the "space" part is well done, having sound basic science behind most of the story. The "opera" part is entertaining, the characters are well developed, and the narrative flows smoothly. The dialog is witty and there was no question of taking the author up on the refund, if no laughs were found. The ability of this author to create characters the reader can relate to, even minor characters, is quite evident. You are treated to an intriguing look at the logical extension of The New World Order; also to bureaucracy at its most twisted and convoluted best.
The best thing about the story was that it also contained "a mystery, wrapped in a riddle, inside an enigma....", to quote Churchill. You are never sure who is doing what to whom, and for what purpose. Ms. Goto's emergence as a strong character was fun to watch and it furthered the pace of the story immensely. I enjoyed this story and recommend it highly, even if you are not a hardcore science fiction fan. Who knows, perhaps after this, you might become one. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
The best thing about the story was that it also contained "a mystery, wrapped in a riddle, inside an enigma....", to quote Churchill. You are never sure who is doing what to whom, and for what purpose. Ms. Goto's emergence as a strong character was fun to watch and it furthered the pace of the story immensely. I enjoyed this story and recommend it highly, even if you are not a hardcore science fiction fan. Who knows, perhaps after this, you might become one. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
March 21, 2019
Great sci-fi with creative concepts!
The author creates a plausible view of a future where environmental changes and technology have pushed humanity’s exploration and expansion into space. The United Nations is preparing Venus for future colonization by directing asteroids onto the planet to effect environmental change. Elfrida Goto, a Space Corp community liaison, is tasked with assessing whether asteroid 11073 Galapagos should be purchased for the Venus Remediation Project, otherwise it will go to resource recyclers. Either way, the 30,000 pureblooded pre-Fuji Japanese squatters must be evicted. Elfrida will use a state-of-the-art stross-class phavatar (physical avatar) called Yumiko Shimada for this mission. Phavatars are machine intelligence (MI) assistants, controlled at a distance by an operator in a telepresence booth, but capable of independent function when needed. Plenty of action and battles both asteroid-side and in space. It took me a little bit to get into the rhythm of the book and the author’s unique style, but I definitely want to read the next book in the series.
The author creates a plausible view of a future where environmental changes and technology have pushed humanity’s exploration and expansion into space. The United Nations is preparing Venus for future colonization by directing asteroids onto the planet to effect environmental change. Elfrida Goto, a Space Corp community liaison, is tasked with assessing whether asteroid 11073 Galapagos should be purchased for the Venus Remediation Project, otherwise it will go to resource recyclers. Either way, the 30,000 pureblooded pre-Fuji Japanese squatters must be evicted. Elfrida will use a state-of-the-art stross-class phavatar (physical avatar) called Yumiko Shimada for this mission. Phavatars are machine intelligence (MI) assistants, controlled at a distance by an operator in a telepresence booth, but capable of independent function when needed. Plenty of action and battles both asteroid-side and in space. It took me a little bit to get into the rhythm of the book and the author’s unique style, but I definitely want to read the next book in the series.
October 27, 2014
I received an electronic copy of this book in return for a review.
It's strange, but I had this feeling throughout my reading that I'd read this book before. Which kept me from enjoying it much as part of me was always separate, thinking 'where does this sound familiar from?' and so on.
The heroine of the story has an impossible job -- recommending whether to buy an asteroid or no, with either answer potentially leading to marooning all of the inhabitants on a refugee moon. She does her job via a robot stand-in that she interfaces with from her station orbiting Venus. Her current robot avatar, however, is more independent than an AI should be. And there are space pirates circling.
Unfortunately, what with the constant feeling of deja vu, I couldn't get into this story.
It's strange, but I had this feeling throughout my reading that I'd read this book before. Which kept me from enjoying it much as part of me was always separate, thinking 'where does this sound familiar from?' and so on.
The heroine of the story has an impossible job -- recommending whether to buy an asteroid or no, with either answer potentially leading to marooning all of the inhabitants on a refugee moon. She does her job via a robot stand-in that she interfaces with from her station orbiting Venus. Her current robot avatar, however, is more independent than an AI should be. And there are space pirates circling.
Unfortunately, what with the constant feeling of deja vu, I couldn't get into this story.
May 8, 2017
My original The Galapagos Incident audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
Two and half centuries in the future, mankind has colonized a fair portion of the solar system. Most of the settlements are in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. These large and small planetoids contain the raw materials necessary to make building possible. The UN, now the largest governing body of humanity, is advancing its most ambitious project to date, terraforming Venus. Unfortunately, for the tiny colonies on certain asteroids, it means flinging their homes into Venus to cool and oxygenate the atmosphere. It is Alfrida’s job to relocate them to Ceres.
Mars was the first and most obvious choice for terraforming, but had to be abandoned when it was taken over by hostile artificial intelligence. 11073 Galapagos is an asteroid whose worth is now too great to leave the 30,000 Japanese refugees in place. Their 80 year-old world will be stripped for its valuable minerals and then flung into Venus. The inhabitants don’t want to leave and Alfrida must convince them or watch them all die.
The Galapagos Incident is far too complex to describe in a reasonable way in a summary. The general theme is political correctness, religion and corporate greed run amok. The listener is asked to be patient as the groundwork is laid for this and future sequels. There is a lot going on that is unclear: possible alien attacks, malicious artificial intelligence, terrorist cells and subversive factions. There is a fair amount of humor, some of it subtle, starships named after famous 20th Century rock bands and spoken emojis. It is complicated and sometimes confusing. Those interested in space opera will be familiar with this world building.
Felix Savage performs the novel. His voice is pleasant and works well for the many female characters. He has great skill in pronouncing the many Japanese words and names. There is a subtle humor to his voice as he pronounces the blatant sarcasm of the giant recycling company: Carbage LLC and its spaceship, The Carbage Can. It is a good performance, but may not be for everyone; listen to the sample to be sure it is right for you.
The Galapagos Incident is complex and requires patience. You will either love it, and want to continue on to the sequels, or give up in mid-volume. Space opera is a personal taste, as the author is building an entire societal construct very different from our present. That takes effort and may not be for everyone. It is probably unfair to judge the book on its own; as it is clearly part of something much larger. There are many good and unique characters in a complex plot.
Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.
Two and half centuries in the future, mankind has colonized a fair portion of the solar system. Most of the settlements are in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. These large and small planetoids contain the raw materials necessary to make building possible. The UN, now the largest governing body of humanity, is advancing its most ambitious project to date, terraforming Venus. Unfortunately, for the tiny colonies on certain asteroids, it means flinging their homes into Venus to cool and oxygenate the atmosphere. It is Alfrida’s job to relocate them to Ceres.
Mars was the first and most obvious choice for terraforming, but had to be abandoned when it was taken over by hostile artificial intelligence. 11073 Galapagos is an asteroid whose worth is now too great to leave the 30,000 Japanese refugees in place. Their 80 year-old world will be stripped for its valuable minerals and then flung into Venus. The inhabitants don’t want to leave and Alfrida must convince them or watch them all die.
The Galapagos Incident is far too complex to describe in a reasonable way in a summary. The general theme is political correctness, religion and corporate greed run amok. The listener is asked to be patient as the groundwork is laid for this and future sequels. There is a lot going on that is unclear: possible alien attacks, malicious artificial intelligence, terrorist cells and subversive factions. There is a fair amount of humor, some of it subtle, starships named after famous 20th Century rock bands and spoken emojis. It is complicated and sometimes confusing. Those interested in space opera will be familiar with this world building.
Felix Savage performs the novel. His voice is pleasant and works well for the many female characters. He has great skill in pronouncing the many Japanese words and names. There is a subtle humor to his voice as he pronounces the blatant sarcasm of the giant recycling company: Carbage LLC and its spaceship, The Carbage Can. It is a good performance, but may not be for everyone; listen to the sample to be sure it is right for you.
The Galapagos Incident is complex and requires patience. You will either love it, and want to continue on to the sequels, or give up in mid-volume. Space opera is a personal taste, as the author is building an entire societal construct very different from our present. That takes effort and may not be for everyone. It is probably unfair to judge the book on its own; as it is clearly part of something much larger. There are many good and unique characters in a complex plot.
Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.
December 9, 2017
Title: The Galapagos Incident
Author: Felix R. Savage
Publisher: Felix R. Savage
ISBN: 978-1937396114
Buy Link: http://felixrsavage.com/meet-sol-syst...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
The Elfrida Goto Trilogy 1
As a Space Corps agent in the year 2285, Elfrida Goto doesn’t expect to be liked. Her job is to help and protect colonists in space … but they usually don’t want to be helped, and the squatters on 11073 Galapagos are no exception.
Tasked with evacuating them from their doomed asteroid, Elfrida struggles with an uncooperative telepresence robot and an angry local liaison. It doesn’t help that she’s got a crush on her boss, the aloof and intriguing Gloria dos Santos.
But when a lethal AI fleet attacks Elfrida's home base, her mission changes in a hurry. Now, she has just one chance to save the people of 11073 Galapagos. Fighting was never in her job description … but she’ll just have to learn.Fast.
The Galapagos Incident is the first book of the Sol System Renegades series, an action-packed near-future science fiction epic that readers have praised as "blindingly inventive ..." "witty, intriguing, and creepy as hell." Fans of Sy-Fy's The Expanse, the science fiction of Neal Stephenson, and character-centric hard sci-fi will love Felix R. Savage's saga of our interplanetary future.
Total Score: 5/5
Summary:
Received for an honest review.
Elfrida signed up to help the humans living off world and realize her dream, to see Venus up close and personal. The only problem is things in outer space is as complicated as it is on Earth.
The UN purports itself to be the saviors and protectors of the many small colonies struggling to live on asteroids, but in reality when those asteroids are coming up for purchase Elfrida is the one who is sent to find if there are any resources available. If so the colony are resettled elsewhere, even if they refuse to leave. All the while she is psychically on a ship acting through a robot. This distance only angers the displaced individuals whose lives are effected. Elfrida's doubts are magnified when she is sent to 11073 Galapagos where the colony is comprised with individuals who are Japanese. She was chosen because she is part Japanese and speaks the language. Even though things are difficult for the people, medical issues and physical problems form living in a low gravity asteroid, the people are happy living as they always have. Things get sticky when Elfrida begins to feel that there is more to the AI inside the robot as it begins to act independently in ways that could compromise everything for her and her supervisor Dos Santos.
This was a fast paced and intricate story set in a future time with all the advances that many dream of, both good and bad. The many unique characters with their differing ideas brought the story to life as it unfolded. I will be waiting for what is next in store in the next book in The Elfrida Goto Trilogy.
Author: Felix R. Savage
Publisher: Felix R. Savage
ISBN: 978-1937396114
Buy Link: http://felixrsavage.com/meet-sol-syst...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
The Elfrida Goto Trilogy 1
As a Space Corps agent in the year 2285, Elfrida Goto doesn’t expect to be liked. Her job is to help and protect colonists in space … but they usually don’t want to be helped, and the squatters on 11073 Galapagos are no exception.
Tasked with evacuating them from their doomed asteroid, Elfrida struggles with an uncooperative telepresence robot and an angry local liaison. It doesn’t help that she’s got a crush on her boss, the aloof and intriguing Gloria dos Santos.
But when a lethal AI fleet attacks Elfrida's home base, her mission changes in a hurry. Now, she has just one chance to save the people of 11073 Galapagos. Fighting was never in her job description … but she’ll just have to learn.Fast.
The Galapagos Incident is the first book of the Sol System Renegades series, an action-packed near-future science fiction epic that readers have praised as "blindingly inventive ..." "witty, intriguing, and creepy as hell." Fans of Sy-Fy's The Expanse, the science fiction of Neal Stephenson, and character-centric hard sci-fi will love Felix R. Savage's saga of our interplanetary future.
Total Score: 5/5
Summary:
Received for an honest review.
Elfrida signed up to help the humans living off world and realize her dream, to see Venus up close and personal. The only problem is things in outer space is as complicated as it is on Earth.
The UN purports itself to be the saviors and protectors of the many small colonies struggling to live on asteroids, but in reality when those asteroids are coming up for purchase Elfrida is the one who is sent to find if there are any resources available. If so the colony are resettled elsewhere, even if they refuse to leave. All the while she is psychically on a ship acting through a robot. This distance only angers the displaced individuals whose lives are effected. Elfrida's doubts are magnified when she is sent to 11073 Galapagos where the colony is comprised with individuals who are Japanese. She was chosen because she is part Japanese and speaks the language. Even though things are difficult for the people, medical issues and physical problems form living in a low gravity asteroid, the people are happy living as they always have. Things get sticky when Elfrida begins to feel that there is more to the AI inside the robot as it begins to act independently in ways that could compromise everything for her and her supervisor Dos Santos.
This was a fast paced and intricate story set in a future time with all the advances that many dream of, both good and bad. The many unique characters with their differing ideas brought the story to life as it unfolded. I will be waiting for what is next in store in the next book in The Elfrida Goto Trilogy.
May 14, 2018
This was one of the special offers that occasionally appear in my inbox, so I thought I would give it a try.
I found Elfida interesting, but she was difficult to like, especially given the job she does. I also didn’t like the way she operated with an AI avatar thousands of miles away from the action. I presume the author thought this strange relationship added to the story, but to begin with I thought it made the whole thing very ‘clunky’, later I just found it irritating.
However, my main problem was I never really understood what was going on. There was suddenly attacked by the ‘PLAN’ about a quarter of the way through, from then on the more I read, the less I cared what was happening.
I found Elfida interesting, but she was difficult to like, especially given the job she does. I also didn’t like the way she operated with an AI avatar thousands of miles away from the action. I presume the author thought this strange relationship added to the story, but to begin with I thought it made the whole thing very ‘clunky’, later I just found it irritating.
However, my main problem was I never really understood what was going on. There was suddenly attacked by the ‘PLAN’ about a quarter of the way through, from then on the more I read, the less I cared what was happening.
December 22, 2018
She pilots an robot remotely on another planet. Helps to relocate people from asteroids to populated planets, not always by their choice.
He kinda likes her lady boss a little too much.
But the robot gets hacked...
It’s a really good story, the idea of remotely controlling a robot, while not new, is played out differently than you’d expect. There are a lot of different players in this game and keeping track of which location they’re in is quite fun.
I’ve already got the next story set aside for later so, better than good & 4/5
He kinda likes her lady boss a little too much.
But the robot gets hacked...
It’s a really good story, the idea of remotely controlling a robot, while not new, is played out differently than you’d expect. There are a lot of different players in this game and keeping track of which location they’re in is quite fun.
I’ve already got the next story set aside for later so, better than good & 4/5
August 4, 2017
A very enjoyable read. I'd recommend for fans of serious Sci-Fi. The Terra forming of Venus is the setting. The story is rich in characters and intrigue abounds as the plot is viewed from many viewpoints giving it depth and solidity. The science is sound, the characters rich and believable and the story keeps you on your toes and hungry for more.
February 9, 2018
If you're really keen to read a book where most of the interesting stuff is happening somewhere the narration isn't, then this book has you covered.
It's a shame because there are hints of an interesting setting here, but the author never manages to bring it, the characters or their conflicts into proper focus.
It's a shame because there are hints of an interesting setting here, but the author never manages to bring it, the characters or their conflicts into proper focus.
March 21, 2018
The setting of this story was interesting, but the execution was mediocre at most. There were nice ideas, and unnecessary hiccups in the story without much explanation. (I have kept asking myself why, why, why...) The end was dragging too long, I thought that the author is wrapping up and there was one fifth of the pages still to go. Anyway, it wasn't good enough for me to read the sequels.
August 19, 2018
There is potential here. Savage has created a fascinating new universe. In his attempt to be faithful to this universe, and write from a perspective that is both inside and outside a current reader's experience, he creates a challenging read. Some people can't handle that while others, like me, enjoy the challenge. I am likely to want to see where this series goes.
April 17, 2019
Some sympathetic and interesting characters, and decent story, with focus on AI/ MI and how culture and ethnic identity might change in the future.
Found the Christian arc for the Japanese colony a little jarring, not that Christianity doesn't have a clear history in Japan, but that it seemed to be more of a focus than all the other fascinating cultural aspects of Japan.
Found the Christian arc for the Japanese colony a little jarring, not that Christianity doesn't have a clear history in Japan, but that it seemed to be more of a focus than all the other fascinating cultural aspects of Japan.
April 28, 2019
Very hard to understand.
I only read a few chapters and that was more than enough. I guess if I was a "gamer" it would be easier to understand. If this was just a story without the avatar stuff, I could probably figure it out, but there are too many books to read out there so I will skip this one.:) ok
I only read a few chapters and that was more than enough. I guess if I was a "gamer" it would be easier to understand. If this was just a story without the avatar stuff, I could probably figure it out, but there are too many books to read out there so I will skip this one.:) ok
December 12, 2019
"It was OK" is a perfect rating for this book. There is nothing wrong with it, but not enough "right": no interesting characters, no really interesting plot points, nothing to make it stand out.
However I'd like to say that the fact that the main character is far removed from one of scenes of action doesn't hurt: she gets enough action where she is.
However I'd like to say that the fact that the main character is far removed from one of scenes of action doesn't hurt: she gets enough action where she is.
October 21, 2017
I would have given this book a higher rating but it just jumped all over the place. In one paragraph you'd be in one scene and then in the next paragraph an entirely different one and sometimes this got to be very confusing.
This is a very engaging action-packed story.
This is a very engaging action-packed story.
April 7, 2018
Very interesting characters with a complex story line. Sometimes it was difficult to follow and it drags a bit here and there. The ending was not definitive or particularly satisfying.
September 29, 2018
I finished the book, but couldn't get into it.
January 1, 2019
A very poignant story with trouble all over the place. Heartfelt characters and a very clever plot. Loved it.
February 21, 2019
Too haphazard. Jerky. Painfully finished. Will not continue with the series.
December 2, 2020
Entertaining Sci-Fi reading
A will written Sci-Fi novel with interesting characters and a fast moving story line.
A will written Sci-Fi novel with interesting characters and a fast moving story line.
May 3, 2021
Lots of action and intrigue. Got love inept hero.
March 18, 2017
I liked this enough to read more in the series, but it felt like it could have been better. The pacing is a bit off at times and the ending goes on a bit, but Goto is a really likeable heroine and there are some really good ideas underlying the plot.
November 8, 2014
There is a lot to like about this book: interesting thoughts about AI, ethnicity, religion, and what it would be like if the UN was the government of the solar system. There is a lot of good writing: snappy dialogue and suspenseful action scenes. I didn’t follow all the techy stuff, but I imagine some readers would be intrigued by it. I was intrigued by people living inside asteroids. I was intrigued by the idea of terraforming a planet by bombarding it with asteroids. The fact that many of those asteroids were the ones with people living in them so the UN was forcing those people to relocate seemed a good setup for a book. The fact that people connected themselves to robots in order to deal with multiple assignments in different parts of the solar system, often with communication lags of several seconds, seemed charged with potential too. Having a robot fill in the lag time with rogue responses was an interesting twist. And having that robot maybe be under someone else’s control? Having the protagonist’s boss maybe be involved in some kind of subterfuge? Then about a quarter of the way through the book a crew of bad guys, who might or might not have been rogue robots, suddenly showed up wreaking havoc and driving the conflict for a while. Plus the action stops every now and then to discuss religious dogma. In some ways this book reminded me of Philip K. Dick, who could devote pages and pages to robotic sheep or a gadget that controlled mood shifts when really the book had little to do with either of those things.
But I wasn’t as taken with this book as I have been by Philip K. Dick. Without restudying his books, I can’t say for sure that he was able to maintain a plot line through all his asides or if his asides were just so brilliant no one cares. But I was distracted by the wandering of this plot. I didn’t know what was important and what wasn’t. I felt many of the threads were still dangling at the end. The fact that Savage intends to go on with a series about these characters doesn’t mean the reader should be left wondering what this book was about. The motivation of the protagonist wanders too. At first she seems very conflicted about relocating the asteroid squatters. She says she’s doing it just for the adventure? Then she’s determined to do it. Then she deeply loves the terraforming project. Her inconsistencies interfered with my following the plot too.
In conclusion, many SF readers will enjoy this book and find it thought-provoking, but they, like me, may also find it frustrating.
I was given a review copy of this book in exchange for what is clearly an honest review.
But I wasn’t as taken with this book as I have been by Philip K. Dick. Without restudying his books, I can’t say for sure that he was able to maintain a plot line through all his asides or if his asides were just so brilliant no one cares. But I was distracted by the wandering of this plot. I didn’t know what was important and what wasn’t. I felt many of the threads were still dangling at the end. The fact that Savage intends to go on with a series about these characters doesn’t mean the reader should be left wondering what this book was about. The motivation of the protagonist wanders too. At first she seems very conflicted about relocating the asteroid squatters. She says she’s doing it just for the adventure? Then she’s determined to do it. Then she deeply loves the terraforming project. Her inconsistencies interfered with my following the plot too.
In conclusion, many SF readers will enjoy this book and find it thought-provoking, but they, like me, may also find it frustrating.
I was given a review copy of this book in exchange for what is clearly an honest review.
December 20, 2017
There were aspects of this story that reminded me of Netflix The Expanse (The UN being a major player, mention of Ceres), so at first I downloaded a sample of the book from Amazon, and feeling a need to see how it ends, I went ahead and bought it.
What drew me in at first was scope of it; human colonization of our star system and how our species had been affected by this.
I'm not sure how much space I should devote to the overall storyline, as I don't want to spoil anyone's discovery of this future world, but in the future humanity has spread throughout our solar system, and is currently in the process of terraforming Venus. Part of this terraforming in done through asteroid impacts, but since many of the asteroids in Venus neighbourhood has been settled by human colonists, UN, the major player in the future, has to buy out/evict the residents of the asteroids deemed suitable. Enter the main character of the story, Elfrida Goto, who has to evaluate which asteroids are suitable. Needless to say, there are complications...
Elfrida Goto, is not your cliché bone-in-the-nose bad-ass female heroine, instead she starts out as a somewhat harmless, and naive UN employee.
I've seen that some find her to be too meek and therefore annoying, but to me it was kinda refreshing to have a more...IMO down to earth civilian character; after-all every female character doesn't have to be like Zoe Washbourne (to be clear, big fan of her!) or Lara Croft. On that point though, towards the end there are signs that Elfrida has evolved/changed as a character due to the experiences throughout the book.
In general, I'm a somewhat picky and critical reader, and it would take something really special for me to give a book top score, but part of the reason why I'm settling for 4 stars.
I appreciate a complex world with many different aspects that one gets to explore, but I would have liked to have some of them more fleshed out for me as a reader, especially when a characters affiliation to a given organization is supposed to be a major revelation. But perhaps this is part of the journey in this universe?
What I did like though was the humour, and the sprinkles of commentary on our own times which made me chuckle at times. I'm not into physics, so I can't attempt to "arrest" the author on any potential errors, but I found it believable enough, though some things I could not picture in my head (Kharbage Can elevator).
Before this drags on for too long, yes I will probably read the next instalment in this series, as this one left a quench for more from this world.
What drew me in at first was scope of it; human colonization of our star system and how our species had been affected by this.
I'm not sure how much space I should devote to the overall storyline, as I don't want to spoil anyone's discovery of this future world, but in the future humanity has spread throughout our solar system, and is currently in the process of terraforming Venus. Part of this terraforming in done through asteroid impacts, but since many of the asteroids in Venus neighbourhood has been settled by human colonists, UN, the major player in the future, has to buy out/evict the residents of the asteroids deemed suitable. Enter the main character of the story, Elfrida Goto, who has to evaluate which asteroids are suitable. Needless to say, there are complications...
Elfrida Goto, is not your cliché bone-in-the-nose bad-ass female heroine, instead she starts out as a somewhat harmless, and naive UN employee.
I've seen that some find her to be too meek and therefore annoying, but to me it was kinda refreshing to have a more...IMO down to earth civilian character; after-all every female character doesn't have to be like Zoe Washbourne (to be clear, big fan of her!) or Lara Croft. On that point though, towards the end there are signs that Elfrida has evolved/changed as a character due to the experiences throughout the book.
In general, I'm a somewhat picky and critical reader, and it would take something really special for me to give a book top score, but part of the reason why I'm settling for 4 stars.
I appreciate a complex world with many different aspects that one gets to explore, but I would have liked to have some of them more fleshed out for me as a reader, especially when a characters affiliation to a given organization is supposed to be a major revelation. But perhaps this is part of the journey in this universe?
What I did like though was the humour, and the sprinkles of commentary on our own times which made me chuckle at times. I'm not into physics, so I can't attempt to "arrest" the author on any potential errors, but I found it believable enough, though some things I could not picture in my head (Kharbage Can elevator).
Before this drags on for too long, yes I will probably read the next instalment in this series, as this one left a quench for more from this world.
December 14, 2014
The Galapagos Incident is the first installment of an extraordinary look into our interplanetary future. I did what no-one should do: I read the second book first. While I consider the sequel a tremendous stand-alone book, I was still curious enough about the first to request The Galapagos Incident. Here are a few of my opinions:
- The presence of small errors is more perceptible than in its sequel. I counted sixteen of them and informed the author. I doubt very much that they’ll be there much longer as a result. I don’t punish Indie-published books due to these small flaws; I‘m aware of the costs associated with copyediting and, besides, it’s the story that really matters;
- Now the setting: awesome! This is a richly imagined solar system that links up well with my notions of what is technologically achievable in the future. The universe encompasses economy, society, religion and, most importantly to me, it brilliantly portrays the devastating social changes that technology and Man’s expansionism may have on us;
- The story: With such a setting it becomes possible to write many stories, and the one chosen is an action-packed introduction to a unique group of characters. I know many of them from the sequel; it was a lot of fun to get to know Elfrida Goto at an earlier phase. I never detail plots, but I can say it didn’t fall into any patterns of predictability (an excellent point in the book’s favor);
- Dialogue and narrative style were enormously satisfying. There was a natural humor in both these arenas, allowing me to engage emotionally with the characters. This turns an otherwise good read into a great one and is the sign of a talented author.
I love fun reads. I score reviews much the same way as amazon recommends it, and since my sense of humor enjoys a good workout I guess it was inevitable that I’d give it five stars. If you’re anything like me you’ll enjoy it too.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book for a fair and honest review.
- The presence of small errors is more perceptible than in its sequel. I counted sixteen of them and informed the author. I doubt very much that they’ll be there much longer as a result. I don’t punish Indie-published books due to these small flaws; I‘m aware of the costs associated with copyediting and, besides, it’s the story that really matters;
- Now the setting: awesome! This is a richly imagined solar system that links up well with my notions of what is technologically achievable in the future. The universe encompasses economy, society, religion and, most importantly to me, it brilliantly portrays the devastating social changes that technology and Man’s expansionism may have on us;
- The story: With such a setting it becomes possible to write many stories, and the one chosen is an action-packed introduction to a unique group of characters. I know many of them from the sequel; it was a lot of fun to get to know Elfrida Goto at an earlier phase. I never detail plots, but I can say it didn’t fall into any patterns of predictability (an excellent point in the book’s favor);
- Dialogue and narrative style were enormously satisfying. There was a natural humor in both these arenas, allowing me to engage emotionally with the characters. This turns an otherwise good read into a great one and is the sign of a talented author.
I love fun reads. I score reviews much the same way as amazon recommends it, and since my sense of humor enjoys a good workout I guess it was inevitable that I’d give it five stars. If you’re anything like me you’ll enjoy it too.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book for a fair and honest review.
April 23, 2016
This novel had a lot of interesting concepts. I loved the lag time in telepresence communication. I can just imagine the horrors that would cause in diplomatic discussions and arguments. I also found the interaction between the phavatar and her host very interesting. Other particularly interesting elements: splart, immersive environments, generations of people living in asteroids, terraforming, AI issues, and the UN's military/civilian role in things. One of the more intriguing issues revolved around this particular future's type of racism. The novel bursts with imagination.
The pacing lagged at times for me, and at other times seemed to skip over the most interesting parts, but overall I liked the story. And—perhaps uncharacteristically for a sci-fi reader—I liked that there weren't a lot of long space battles. The ending felt rushed and then drawn out, but endings are so very, very subjective, and I don't think they all need to fit into the Hollywood cookie cutter format.
I found it confusing in places: unclear motivations, underexplained political twists, hard-to-visualize mechanics of the spaces ships, a few characters I couldn't keep straight, etc. For example, I liked that there was different gravity on different parts of the ship because of various spinning speeds and things (I'm no physicist), but I found it really hard to picture.
Now…the vocabulary. I have a pretty good vocabulary, but I had to look up a lot of words (thank goodness I was reading on my Kindle). I think the author was trying to show how speech had evolved over the years, resurrecting old or obscure words as languages do. But…the effect bordered on just plain pretentious. Many of the made-up science fiction words were cool, however, and totally understandable in context.
There were really funny bits—but subtly funny—and I love that in a novel.
I would consider continuing this series or other work by Felix R. Savage.
Warning: profanity and sexual references
The pacing lagged at times for me, and at other times seemed to skip over the most interesting parts, but overall I liked the story. And—perhaps uncharacteristically for a sci-fi reader—I liked that there weren't a lot of long space battles. The ending felt rushed and then drawn out, but endings are so very, very subjective, and I don't think they all need to fit into the Hollywood cookie cutter format.
I found it confusing in places: unclear motivations, underexplained political twists, hard-to-visualize mechanics of the spaces ships, a few characters I couldn't keep straight, etc. For example, I liked that there was different gravity on different parts of the ship because of various spinning speeds and things (I'm no physicist), but I found it really hard to picture.
Now…the vocabulary. I have a pretty good vocabulary, but I had to look up a lot of words (thank goodness I was reading on my Kindle). I think the author was trying to show how speech had evolved over the years, resurrecting old or obscure words as languages do. But…the effect bordered on just plain pretentious. Many of the made-up science fiction words were cool, however, and totally understandable in context.
There were really funny bits—but subtly funny—and I love that in a novel.
I would consider continuing this series or other work by Felix R. Savage.
Warning: profanity and sexual references
February 19, 2017
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is about humans in space, employing levels of technology that is used to secure living space, necessary materials needed for survival and population control. What is also about is the systematic espionage and intrigue of competing governmental departments under cutting each other. This is what leads to the somewhat humorous aspects and unbelievable situations of the heroine of the story.
This is about humans in space, employing levels of technology that is used to secure living space, necessary materials needed for survival and population control. What is also about is the systematic espionage and intrigue of competing governmental departments under cutting each other. This is what leads to the somewhat humorous aspects and unbelievable situations of the heroine of the story.
February 14, 2015
The take over of an Asteroid world, and who everyone is that wants it.
This review is from: The Galapagos Incident: A Science Fiction Thriller (The Interplanetary War Series Book 1) (Kindle Edition)
Some Spoilers ahead*****
This is the story of someone who's job it is to evict human colonist from Asteroids so the asteroids can be flung into Venus and start the process of Venus becoming an Earth like planet. Problems are many, the assistant robot body is acting against her, trying to make the colonist of this asteroid do really stupid stuff, add in a boss that isn't telling what she knows and a AI plot to take over and well you have a bad day in the making..
The Female character that this book is telling the story from must use an artificial body when out in space from her orbiting hub above Venus. When they are attacked and taken in by space tugboat/ recycling traders she finds that her boss isn't as nice as she should be and knows what's going on. Add in a stolen space vessel and an asteroid is partially destroyed but partially saved.
Confusion is rampant because of the artificial body doing things when the brains aren't hook up.. Listening to it's programer or who hijacked it makes it difficult to save the colonists lives. The central character tries but everyone seems determined to act against her..You feel her frustration and distrust while along with everyone else's. It's suitable for teens but I'd give tweens a pass due to deaths and violence. As for the book in general I'd give it a 4 star things weren't very clear even when it was running right..Felix R. Savage's next book may clear things up if it continues the characters. It's got a lot of potential it just didn't relate really clear to my reading..
May 12, 2015
I really enjoyed the writing in this book. Sometimes, the plot and the characters take a back seat to the words, and in my viewpoint this was such a book.
That made me want to know if maybe I knew the author under another name, or had perhaps read something else by him / her. "Felix R Savage." A likely nomme de plume. Usually when I say that the next thing I find out is that it's the person's real name. I once knew a very nice man named Sonny Butts. Perhaps Felix is truly a Savage, and truly a Felix. It's not important.
I should confess that I share the dream of going to the surface of Venus or Mars or another planet someday. I realized in the early 60's that it was just plain not gonna happen. But I can still remember the dream. The news recently had a short item about sailing flying cities above the clouds of Venus someday. What a great retirement idea!
Stories that don't follow the Fairy Tale or the Hero formula also appeal to me. I'm not trying to spoil the book for you - I'm just saying that it's a creative story line, as opposed to a trite formula. Tip of the hat to the author, about whose name I'm yet uncertain, for that effort.
If you like space opera, perhaps a bit of a quirky story, and fun reading, I think you should consider this book for your Want to Read list.
That made me want to know if maybe I knew the author under another name, or had perhaps read something else by him / her. "Felix R Savage." A likely nomme de plume. Usually when I say that the next thing I find out is that it's the person's real name. I once knew a very nice man named Sonny Butts. Perhaps Felix is truly a Savage, and truly a Felix. It's not important.
I should confess that I share the dream of going to the surface of Venus or Mars or another planet someday. I realized in the early 60's that it was just plain not gonna happen. But I can still remember the dream. The news recently had a short item about sailing flying cities above the clouds of Venus someday. What a great retirement idea!
Stories that don't follow the Fairy Tale or the Hero formula also appeal to me. I'm not trying to spoil the book for you - I'm just saying that it's a creative story line, as opposed to a trite formula. Tip of the hat to the author, about whose name I'm yet uncertain, for that effort.
If you like space opera, perhaps a bit of a quirky story, and fun reading, I think you should consider this book for your Want to Read list.
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