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Unity Captives
UNITY CAPTIVESWhen humanity escaped to the stars, greed and tyranny came along for the ride.
When Tod Riley takes a job building Dritta’s new space station, he never suspects his desire for freedom and adventure among the stars would lead him into deadly peril. With a salvaged travel pod, he flies between the ice and rock of the planet rings and dreams of visiting other worlds. His dreams turn to nightmares when the Unity starship Grissom arrives in the system, bringing the tyrannical rules of the Unity with them. When violence erupts on the station, the colonists are able to turn the Unity regulations to their favor and compel the newly repaired and resupplied ship to leave the system.
Regrettably, it does not leave alone.
Tod finds himself among a group of colonists forcibly abducted from their colony’s space station, deprived of freedom and impressed into the service of the Unity fleet. Forced into a nightmare dystopia, injury and degradation takes them further from the home world they may never see again. The crew treats them as criminals and slaves. Only the dream of eventual release and freedom keep them going. One of the colonists discovers that the last battle had not been with the rebels, but a merchant ship carrying harmless colonists. Every person on board was killed. The captain had committed murderous acts of piracy, and Tod realized that he and the others will never be allowed to leave the starship alive.
Now Tod must find a way to escape the Grissom before he becomes the next victim of the tyrannical captain’s greed and lust for glory. But how can he possibly hope to cross the light years that separate him from his home world?
When Tod Riley takes a job building Dritta’s new space station, he never suspects his desire for freedom and adventure among the stars would lead him into deadly peril. With a salvaged travel pod, he flies between the ice and rock of the planet rings and dreams of visiting other worlds. His dreams turn to nightmares when the Unity starship Grissom arrives in the system, bringing the tyrannical rules of the Unity with them. When violence erupts on the station, the colonists are able to turn the Unity regulations to their favor and compel the newly repaired and resupplied ship to leave the system.
Regrettably, it does not leave alone.
Tod finds himself among a group of colonists forcibly abducted from their colony’s space station, deprived of freedom and impressed into the service of the Unity fleet. Forced into a nightmare dystopia, injury and degradation takes them further from the home world they may never see again. The crew treats them as criminals and slaves. Only the dream of eventual release and freedom keep them going. One of the colonists discovers that the last battle had not been with the rebels, but a merchant ship carrying harmless colonists. Every person on board was killed. The captain had committed murderous acts of piracy, and Tod realized that he and the others will never be allowed to leave the starship alive.
Now Tod must find a way to escape the Grissom before he becomes the next victim of the tyrannical captain’s greed and lust for glory. But how can he possibly hope to cross the light years that separate him from his home world?
- GenresZombies
540 pages, Paperback
First published March 9, 2015
1 person is currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
R.W. Van Sant
24 books9 followersRW Van Sant is a lifelong writer, seeker of knowledge, and author of the recently published novel Scales and Feathers: A Desert Dinosaur Beach Party—a satirical, science fiction thriller romp set in the wilds of New Mexico.
RW enjoys writing in the fields of dark supernatural fantasy, supernatural thrillers, and thought-provoking science fiction, focusing on socially conscious, detailed world building and mind-bending, character driven stories, because he finds pursuing social consciousness and responsibility in a modern, realistic setting mundane, boring, and frequently overdone. Dark fantasy, horror, science fiction, satire, and supernatural thrillers are more his style, especially if his readers learn something while along for the ride.
Drawing on his lifelong pursuit for higher education and many misspent years practicing archaic medieval skills, RW utilizes his knowledge of history, science, and political science as a novelist for world-building and creating realistic, character-driven storylines. His previous novels include a diverse range of settlings, genres, and plots including Unity Captives —a dystopian science fiction adventure with a strong social justice message, Teller’s Cove—a supernatural horror with Lovecraftian undertones, the I-Factor—a mind-bending supernatural thriller set on a distance colony world, numerous short stories, roleplaying game books, and educational materials, including lesson plans.
He has a strong interest in space exploration, having taken classes in astrophysics, along with researching cryptids, myths and legends, the supernatural, and, of course, sea monsters.
When not writing, RW indulges in his hobbies of puppy pampering, graphic arts, and mediocre guitar playing.
RW enjoys writing in the fields of dark supernatural fantasy, supernatural thrillers, and thought-provoking science fiction, focusing on socially conscious, detailed world building and mind-bending, character driven stories, because he finds pursuing social consciousness and responsibility in a modern, realistic setting mundane, boring, and frequently overdone. Dark fantasy, horror, science fiction, satire, and supernatural thrillers are more his style, especially if his readers learn something while along for the ride.
Drawing on his lifelong pursuit for higher education and many misspent years practicing archaic medieval skills, RW utilizes his knowledge of history, science, and political science as a novelist for world-building and creating realistic, character-driven storylines. His previous novels include a diverse range of settlings, genres, and plots including Unity Captives —a dystopian science fiction adventure with a strong social justice message, Teller’s Cove—a supernatural horror with Lovecraftian undertones, the I-Factor—a mind-bending supernatural thriller set on a distance colony world, numerous short stories, roleplaying game books, and educational materials, including lesson plans.
He has a strong interest in space exploration, having taken classes in astrophysics, along with researching cryptids, myths and legends, the supernatural, and, of course, sea monsters.
When not writing, RW indulges in his hobbies of puppy pampering, graphic arts, and mediocre guitar playing.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 6, 2014
Teller’s Cove is a horror through and through. It’s got suspense, shocks, blood, death, and an underlying feeling of unease and tension. Part of its appeal - to me - is that it has a distinctly Indiana Jones-ey feel to it once the story gets underway, with the promise of sunken treasure; a cache of untold worth kept secret for over a century.
In a small coastal town of California, people have begun to disappear. And much like a rash of disappearances decades before, they seem to only occur when the old house at Teller’s Cove is occupied.
Told in the third person, we’re gently eased into the story in a way which doesn’t ‘info-dump’ - and there’s so much information here, so much back story, it would be easy to make that mistake. The author has done a brilliant job of weaving everything into the plot, piece by piece, and at the right moment.
Teller’s Cove begins with Jerry receiving a telephone call from his brother, Ted, insisting he has vitally important information which he can only impart in person, and if Jerry travels from landlocked New Mexico, to meet with him in California.
There’s an aura of mystery surrounding the story from the get-go -why did Ted disappear for months, and what secrets is he keeping? Why does Jerry have to go to California for answers? Why do the locals frequently use the saying “Crazy like a Teller”?
As Jerry learns more about his brother’s infatuation with what lies beneath the surface, he’s compelled to learn more about Captain Teller - the man who lost his ship to the cove’s jagged reef, his crew to something bloodthirsty and unspeakably deadly and was so affected by it, he built his home looking out over the cove to ensure his secrets died with him.
Captain Teller comes to life by way of his personal logs, detailing his journey from India back to the Californian coast in 1877. Plagued by strange occurrences, Teller records his thoughts and findings, documenting the peculiar happenings on-board. With reference to demons, things which should not be, ancient relics, and uncharted land masses, it would be easy to write off the journals as the ravings of a lunatic - but there’s something about the way they are written that gives you chills, and makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end in warning.
Teller’s Cove flows brilliantly from beginning to end. It’s not rushed, but it’s not a ‘slow’ read, keeping you guessing even after you think you’ve got all the answers.
My only qualm is with a couple of spellingisms - nothing dreadful, and probably the fault of spell-check’s auto correct function. A good read through with a keen eye could easily rectify this without too much fuss.
In a small coastal town of California, people have begun to disappear. And much like a rash of disappearances decades before, they seem to only occur when the old house at Teller’s Cove is occupied.
Told in the third person, we’re gently eased into the story in a way which doesn’t ‘info-dump’ - and there’s so much information here, so much back story, it would be easy to make that mistake. The author has done a brilliant job of weaving everything into the plot, piece by piece, and at the right moment.
Teller’s Cove begins with Jerry receiving a telephone call from his brother, Ted, insisting he has vitally important information which he can only impart in person, and if Jerry travels from landlocked New Mexico, to meet with him in California.
There’s an aura of mystery surrounding the story from the get-go -why did Ted disappear for months, and what secrets is he keeping? Why does Jerry have to go to California for answers? Why do the locals frequently use the saying “Crazy like a Teller”?
As Jerry learns more about his brother’s infatuation with what lies beneath the surface, he’s compelled to learn more about Captain Teller - the man who lost his ship to the cove’s jagged reef, his crew to something bloodthirsty and unspeakably deadly and was so affected by it, he built his home looking out over the cove to ensure his secrets died with him.
Captain Teller comes to life by way of his personal logs, detailing his journey from India back to the Californian coast in 1877. Plagued by strange occurrences, Teller records his thoughts and findings, documenting the peculiar happenings on-board. With reference to demons, things which should not be, ancient relics, and uncharted land masses, it would be easy to write off the journals as the ravings of a lunatic - but there’s something about the way they are written that gives you chills, and makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end in warning.
Teller’s Cove flows brilliantly from beginning to end. It’s not rushed, but it’s not a ‘slow’ read, keeping you guessing even after you think you’ve got all the answers.
My only qualm is with a couple of spellingisms - nothing dreadful, and probably the fault of spell-check’s auto correct function. A good read through with a keen eye could easily rectify this without too much fuss.
September 11, 2015
First story I ever read by this author, and it is delightful. The plot starts off in a melancholy place, but by the end, you feel so uplifted and so hopeful for the main character. I'd recommend this story to anyone who loves sea life and good music as much as I do.
Merged review:
This is a pretty good book. Hard science fiction is not my usual reading choice, but I liked Unity Captives. The plot was fairly easy to follow, and the science concepts didn't overwhelm the story. This is more of an adventure story that just happens to be in a sci-fi setting. I liked the main character, but the supporting cast had some standouts, especially Ortega. I would recommend this to readers who like the grittier side of space fiction.
Merged review:
This is a pretty good book. Hard science fiction is not my usual reading choice, but I liked Unity Captives. The plot was fairly easy to follow, and the science concepts didn't overwhelm the story. This is more of an adventure story that just happens to be in a sci-fi setting. I liked the main character, but the supporting cast had some standouts, especially Ortega. I would recommend this to readers who like the grittier side of space fiction.
February 8, 2015
I read this under its original title of "Synaptic Overload", and my opinion still holds true for the second edition. It is rare to find an author who can write well on such a variety of subjects. The stories range from touching: "Whale Song", to playful: "Holiday", which was one of my favorites, to chilling: "Group". This collection is well worth a read.
June 30, 2014
I loved this book.
April 29, 2015
A young mom and college student is trapped in her zombie body, silently witnessing but unable to do anything about the devastation she commits. This is nicely bloody and short.
November 24, 2015
Good book
Interesting story but could be better. Editing issues where words are clearly intended to be different throw me out of an engaging story.
Interesting story but could be better. Editing issues where words are clearly intended to be different throw me out of an engaging story.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews