Dark Universe

by Milton J. Davis (Editor), Gene Peterson (Editor), Penelope Flynn

The Dark Universe Anthology tells the origin story of the Cassad Empire, from its ambitious beginning to its evolution to the first great human Galactic Empire and its eventual fall. Milton Davis, Gene Peterson, Balogun Ojetade, Penelope Flynn, Malon Edwards, K. Ceres Wright and DaVaun Sanders are the storytellers that lay the foundation of this amazing empire. Dark Universe is space opera like you've never seen. The time has come; Dark Universe is here!

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Science Fiction Fantasy

396 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 23, 2015

About the author

Milton Davis is owner of MVmedia, LLC , a small publishing company specializing in Science Fiction, Fantasy and Sword and Soul. MVmedia’s mission is to provide speculative fiction books that represent people of color in a positive manner. Milton is the author of eight novels; his most recent The Woman of the Woods and Amber and the Hidden City. He is co-editor of four anthologies; Griots: A Sword and Soul Anthology and Griot: Sisters of the Spear, with Charles R. Saunders; The Ki Khanga Anthology with Balogun Ojetade and the Steamfunk! Anthology, also with Balogun Ojetade. MVmedia has also published Once Upon A Time in Afrika by Balogun Ojetade.
Milton resides in Metro Atlanta with his wife Vickie and his children Brandon and Alana.

Reviews

[Vincent Stoessel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection of intriguing Space Opera stories. Just about every story shines like a star. I would often finish a story thinking "this one would make an incredible stand alone novel or series." Nice blending of different POVs on the rise and fall of a star-faring empire. All the stories by the various authors stayed consistently within the overall story, I never felt like I was taken outside the main narrative. At the same time, I still got to enjoy each author's unique take on "the Known". Would love to read more like this. Hopefully this will only be the start.

[Rene · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wonderful thing about speculative fiction is asking a question, then expanding upon it. What if? What happens next?

So what if people of African decent had a means of leaving the planet, the solar system, and then started a diaspora, creating a space faring civilization based on African culture?

it's an interesting proposition. The anthology, whether intended or serendipitous, is very tightly plotted, all the different stories fit almost seamlessly into a amazing narrative.

My one minor disappointment, was that the last story ended with a cliffhanger, so I guess that I'm looking forward to the forthcoming volume.

[Penelope Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

All right, I am biased as one of the writers in this wonderful anthology that tracks the power and pitfalls of the Cassad Empire. Founded by a wealthy African American industrialist the Empire begins with the use of slip technology which permits travel at nearly light speed to the far reaches of the galaxy. Taking their place among the stars, Cassidy and the First One Million over Millennia create a vast Empire making allies and enemies as they go.

[Jetamors · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked everything in this, but my two favorite stories were "King's Hunt" by Howard Night and "The First Doom" by DaVaun Sanders.

[Matthew Ellam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction - looking forward to reading more!

[Erin Penn · Rating 2 out of 5]

TL/DR – Mediocre writing, poor proofreading (se instead of see, etc). Inconsistent world history and world-building. Two stars.

Long Version
I first tried reading Dark Universe way back in 2017, and it has been in my GoodReads “currently reading” pile ever since. Every now and again, I poked at it because I want to read more books, especially science fiction (which I love), by people of color. In March 2023, I gave it a final try during a two-hour wait and made it 25% of the way through, and the only reason I made it that far was because I started skipping.

The writing between the stories seems consistent, which makes the inconsistent world-building that much more annoying. The History Timeline at the start does not even match the first story of the anthology. I love good world-building; it's my jam. The inconsistency here destroys all enjoyment. The anthology would have been better served with a more bare-bones timeline.

The writing itself is mediocre. The characters predictable, and often cardboard cutouts in their trope-ness. The plots have little to no twists, often broadcast in advance. The first story and several others are more a collection of scenes, sometimes decades and centuries apart, rather than woven cloth of storytelling.

And the editing/proofreading makes the mediocre that much more unreadable.

I'm going to allow this book to pass into the Did-Not-Finish pile finally.