The Forever Life

The Forever #1

by Craig Robertson

Immortal, alone, and broken. To live forever, love must die. Major Jon Ryan is a cocky fighter pilot turned astronaut. He volunteers for the most ambitious, desperate mission ever conceived. The planet Jupiter, thrown off orbit, will destroy Earth in less than a century. Project Ark is humanity's only hope for survival. Jon will search alone to find a suitable location for human resettlement.

To be able to do this, he must first have his consciousness transferred into an experimental android host. He understands the implications of his mission all too well: He will not age and by the time he returns home all the people he knew will be dead. His only companion on his fifty year voyage is his ship's irritable AI.

Jon not only pushes the extremes of human technology, but the limits of his psychological strength. As time goes by, all communications with Earth gradually cease, leaving him in an eerie silence with more questions than answers. Will he save our species from extinction or be the sole survivor, lost forever in space?

Genres: Science Fiction, Audiobook, Space Opera, Fiction, Fantasy, Amazon, Aliens

254 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 8, 2016

About the author

I claim three great accomplishments in my life: my family, my medical career, and my writing.  They are in, I am certain, their proper order.  My family, includes my perfect wife Karen, my wonderful children (adults now) Chris and Kim, my sweet grandson Jonathan. And now you! From family, I draw strength, love, and meaning.  What humbling gifts.  I am almost as proud of my incredible career as a physician (no, not that I'm incredible, it's that the journey was).  I'm an Internest and have worked in ER's, hospitals, clinics, homes, and most places between.  What a rush!  When I say it's an honor and a privilege to be a doctor, I truly mean it.  My writings, provide me a powerful creative outlet and so warms my soul directly.  In my wilder dreams, I hope my writing is of sufficient merit and so benefit you too in an impactful manner. 
Know me by what I love: Dickens, Orwell, and Bradbury; Milton, Donne, and Blake; Coltrane, Davis, and Desmond; Picasso, Michelangelo, and Renoir; Astronomy, Biology and Geology; Doctor Who, Star Trek (original TV), and Doctor Who (yeah, I love it that much); Avedon, Doisneau, and Arbus; burger and fries, coc au vin, and pizza-pizza-pizza.  Have I left anything important to me out?  Just one, the most important: God.  I'm an ex-Catholic wondering if churches are device of men and are necessary at all.  More importantly, I wish I spent more time seeing His wonder in the world (I'm not evangelizing, just passing along info; this is a bio, n'est pas?).  Oh, and this has never come up, but there used to be a series of magazine ads where sexy looking people were asked a series of questions about what they liked.  A standard query was: "What's your favorite word?"  So, this really stuck with me (I know, I need to get out more, don't I) and now I can tell someone, you, my favorite word.  Oneself!  I love it.  It means 'on your own' right, but it also refers to the elf you own!  Brilliant word.  Now, where'd I put that elf.......

Reviews

[Sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's complicated to express my feelings about this book.

It's bad. It's so bad. The protagonist, who is portrayed in this story as a moral hero on a daring mission, is a sarcastic pain in the ass. His idea of diplomacy involves abducting the leaders of one faction on an alien world and presenting the prisoners as a gift of friendship to another faction. (He does this more than once! He later reflects on his diplomatic prowess.) And the science part of this work of science fiction is outrageous in so many ways.

But I still kind of liked it, in a similar way that I happen to enjoy terrible horror movies. It was interesting to see how the author creatively warped (or perhaps merely misinterpreted) common science fiction tropes. It amused me to continue reading just to see what ludicrous idea or situation was presented next.

[Jocelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5ish just because Ryan is awful. For a scientist, he has little appreciation for scientific discovery. Instead, he just screams at aliens. He's a total ass, squandering so many awesome opportunities.

His boomer jokes are really cringe, too.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is meh. It starts out Bobiverse, then a little Old Man's War but with a bad James Bond villain thrown in and then maybe some Space Team sprinkled throughout.
I think what annoyed me the most, is that I know a few naval aviators (family) and some RIO/Bros, they're all externally intelligent, hard working and adaptable. Ryan is none of those, no growth in the nearly 150yrs of "life", he's like 19yr old frat boy in a flight suit. I just can't. Sure, but book wouldn't be as humorous if they MC was a stuffy by-the-book pilot, but still. I think a whack on the head or stray Galactic ready that scrambled this brain a little and transformed him would've made moor sense. Probably okay of you don't know any commercial pilots or aviators. It just takes me too far out of the norm, it's like if the author described human women giving birth thru their tear ducts.
Anyway, ignore all that, and it's fine. Not great, just fine popcorn sci-fi.
Oh, that AI they talk about, not really a factor, unlike Skippy.

[Dylan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t say this lightly, this is the worst thing I’ve ever read (or listened to). It is only my morbid curiosity on how bad it could get which meant I finished it and boy it superseded any and every horrible expectation I had at every turn.
The main character’s personality would only make sense as a villain but no he’s the one dimensional toxic masculinity version of a hero.
The protagonist John is supposed to be funny and arrogant but really it’s just constant intolerable humourless banter.
John is gods gift to women but that only works because the women are written only to swoon at his frankly cringey behaviour. What is supposed to be read as smooth frankly gives me second hand embarrassment for the author. It additionally makes me question what the author thinks of women?
I haven’t even touched on the plot line because I wouldn’t know where to start, it’s so bad. How was this even published?

[Melissa Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this had potential, but it was just bad. Slow, no real action (even the running from bad guys was kind of boring), snarky MC with the same attitude almost a century later. Yeah, right. Alot of similarities with Bobiverse, which I did not like. I found little in this book to be engaging or entertaining. Not for me.

[Cruikshank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jon is a cocky pilot looking to make a name for himself out in the galaxy and find a way to save humanity before everyone is wiped out. He undertakes a desperate mission and has only his wits to keep him alive while dealing with a horrible situation. I really liked this story and found myself drawn into Jon's world. He is a conflicted character, which is the best kind of sci-fi character, and he's got a pretty good moral compass. I really liked the story and can't wait to read more by this author about Jon!

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author asked me for a honest review so here it is. I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked it. I really did. I liked Ryan as the main character but would have liked to hear more about his past. I liked the way the earth was changing through the decades and liked how the different species reacted to Ryan's arrival. However I have a couple of issues with the story. What bugs me the most is this. Ryan spend decades on his ship. He knows it extremely well and so does his AI. He lands on a couple planets and gets experience with that. So far so good. He gets in trouble with some locals and eventually moves on to the next planet. There he lands in the middle of the city. He gets invited for a meal and they try to poison him. He eventually gets free and tries to make his way back to his ship. Which takes days and said ship is under guard by his new enemies. Days later Ryan remembers that he can just remotely lift it up and get in at some other place.... If he knows his ship he would have known he could do that from the start. It is his only way of the planet so why does he risk people tampering with the ship by leaving it there?
It bugs me.

[Tracy Soto · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can easily forgive completely unrealistic plots if the characters are at least well written and well developed. Sadly, this book didn't have any redeeming characters. The male characters are either ignorant buffoons or stereotypical macho-men. The female characters are worse - ridiculous, cartoonish depictions of sex-crazed women who are completely dependent upon their strong, male saviors. Geez...I can't express how difficult it was to finish this book so that I could fairly say I gave it a chance.

[M · Rating 1 out of 5]

Started reading this by accident as mistook it for another author I quite like, so I gave it more of a chance than I would have ordinarily. Even so, I decided to stop after the third red flag about the main character's dated approach to relationships. Would have been absolutely normal attitude in the 80's but "My ex wife is such a bitch" just isn't classy like it was in the olden days. I was very glad to realise it wasn't by the author I thought it was.

[Kevin Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second read

Came across this book and after I downloaded found out had read book before. Books close to Bobuniverse book so Maybe that why I thought haven't read before. I like the story, but many of the plot came back to me. However my kindle unlimited list show I never read any other so even though a re-read I'm happy because I have many new books in this series to try.

[Craig Robertson]

As the author of this book, I want to stress that it is NOT political. Many trumpers are offended I poke one joke at him. In this book I poke a little fun at several icons. I just want to make this clear.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really fun and entertaining space exploration story. The AI, Al,is absolutely hilarious. The way John interacts with Al is witty and genuinely funny. The story kept my interest and attention very well, and it was an easy decision to listen to the 2nd book in the series next.

I enjoyed all of the adventures of meeting alien races and being on alien planets a lot. They were funny and odd even when completely ridiculous, partly because no one else knows what or who is out there, so this could all be possible, and its fun to think about it.

[John Mosman · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you can get over the Earth will be destroyed in the far future, this is a fun sci-fi story. Our hero is made into an android and sent to the stars to find a new planet for Earth's people to migrate and avoid annihilation. He finds new civilization out there and possible new homes. Of course evil rears it ugly head and means the story continues in book #2. Light, fun, inventive - enjoy it!

[Bret Hann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts out with a bit of Bobiverse but redirects to the wit of Red Dwarf on quest.
Some cool character development and repartee. Good enjoyable read.

[Menilik Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I see why some people don't like it - the story is sometimes not very plausible.

But I LOVED it! I found the journey and the story addictive. If you're up for a good ride and an easy read. Then I'd pick this book up in a hurry.

[Cris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good start to the series

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, really good start for the series and excited to see what's next for Ryan. It is similar in many ways to the Bobiverse series (We Are Bob) which is one of my favourite series of all time. I actually found out this book through recommendations of a fellow Bobiverse fan.

[Örjan Lundberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like the funny, crazy and chatty AIs of Craig Robertson; makes you Think on how much you can "sculpt" your AI.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was offered this book by the author for an honest review.
I've read quite a lot of sci-fi over the years and found I could happily put this book between Hitchhikers and 2001 A Space Oddisey.
I found both Al the AI unit and Jon the cyborg very entertaining especially when they're arguing with each other like siblings.
Earth is going to be destroyed so it's arranged that a pilot agrees to download his personality into a cyborg unit which becomes our main character I found him a very engaging person and I'd enjoy meeting this type of person in my day to day life. He is part of the program to search for planets that earth inhabitants can migrate to before it's destroyed.
Some parts felt over explained but for the most part I loved how Jon met other life forms and who he met along the way.
The book is part of a trilogy and I'm looking forward to The Forever Enemy to find out what's to happen next for Jon.

Merged review:

Loved this book.
Jon is an astronaut and fighter pilot who has agreed to be downloaded into a body that he can travel to distant planets to look for somewhere habitable as a planet will collide with earth in over 90 years.
This tells of his journey which is very entertaining I had a good chuckle at Jon's personality and by play with his AI Al and meeting aliens during the journey.

[ThyMrMan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah I felt like this book was rather terrible. The story felt disjointed, jumping around with very little reason at all. Moving between various sci-fi tropes to make some hodgepodge mess that doesn't work at all.

The characters aren't very good, they are very one dimensional and uninteresting. And the main characters humor was never funny, and just came off as abrasive. We also get a little romance, but it ends up feeling fake and rushed.

The various political elements in the book weren't very good ether. They didn't feel real or possible, just extreme.

Science parts of this book are of the fake lets put things together that sound good type. But not good enough to make you feel like the fake science stuff could possibly work. It would work better if you replaced all instances of science with magic and just said magic is making stuff happen.

I don't know what the author was trying to do with this book. Besides maybe throwing a bunch of random sci-fi tropes into a book and hoping something works. I guess at least the editing wasn't terrible and it was functionally something to read for a couple hours.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Craig Robertson's science fiction novel "The Forever Life" delves deep into the concept of immortality and the moral dilemmas that come with it. The book follows Jon Ryan, a man who has been given the chance to live forever. But with eternal life comes the cost of losing loved ones and the possibility of becoming detached from humanity.

One of the things I enjoyed about the book was the playful banter between Jon and the people he encounters throughout the story. Robertson does an excellent job of depicting Jon's growth throughout the book. Although there were some parts of the book that I found silly, I still found it engaging and enjoyable. In fact, I immediately picked up the second book in the series.

Overall, "The Forever Life" is a well-crafted and engaging novel that will appeal to fans of science fiction and those interested in exploring the philosophical implications of immortality. While it may not be in my top ten list of favorite books, it is definitely worth the read and a solid addition to the genre.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book showed up on my Facebook page and sounded like it may be interesting.
Understatement.
It was excellent.

I just finished book six. I couldn't put the series down.


Update!

So I finished Galaxy on Fire which is the six book series after The Forever another 6 book series. That was my April.
These books were so good and fun!
The character Jon Ryan...wow! He's brave, intelligent, lucky, and snarky.
The villains in these book take being a villain to a new level.

I would highly recommend these books and this author. Mr. Robertson is very talented and a excellent storyteller. I really liked his book dedications....not many are honest and thank God. Literally.

My opinion is nothing.
Read a book because you want to. Not because a random stranger on the internet told you to.
If you do things strangers tell you to do then send me money.

[Ruby Keighley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This tale was a bit all over the place. The concept started off great and had me very intrigued as to where it was going (I am partial to science fiction stories) but it jumped around all over the place and felt very non-linear.

It was also very unfortunate that there were countless typos in the book which took you out of the story instantly. Not likely I will be reading the next one in the series.

[KATHY Dorris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun scify book. The world faces certain annihilation and science looks to find a solution: the solution is to create a space program manned by androids with brains downloaded from pilots designed to find and explore possible new homes for Earth’s population. The problem is that humans are human and don’t do well with certain annihilation or waiting. Androids in space take time. I found the humor and attitude of this book to be a fun escape.

[Boris · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is so annoying! The main character is supposed to be cocky and funny, but he is just annoying and self-centered. He could never be an astronaut or get picked for a project this important. Unimaginative book, wasted time IMHO.

[Akoobra · Rating 5 out of 5]

very enjoyable

[Lisa Hibbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad I read it! This was well written and a page turner, cannot wait to read more!

[Glenda Dykstra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't stop reading

An AI that is sarcastic, an alien wife and a rug with an appetite! Science fiction doesn't get any better than this if you enjoy twisted outlooks. I do!

[kenneth h. shumate · Rating 5 out of 5]

New sci-fi twist

This is an interesting new sci-fi twist. Well written and fast paced. Look forward to reading the rest in the series!

[Debra Little · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really good series but you just had to get political. That pretty much ruined the series for me. Will not buy your books again. Hear enough about politics only want entertainment.

[Carole Gribner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tiresome

I didn't read the whole book because I got so tired of the interaction between the AI and the android.